Relics are objects of religious veneration, from bones of saints to items that touched martyrs. They are common in Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. Relics are kept in ornate containers and displayed to pilgrims and visitors, believed to have tremendous power in some cultures. The sale of relics is banned by the Catholic […]
France’s last guillotine execution was in 1977, and the death penalty was abolished in 1981. The guillotine was adopted during the French Revolution as a more humane form of execution. Before this, criminals were executed on a breaking wheel. The last guillotine execution took place in France in 1977, when a Tunisian immigrant was convicted […]
Phylogenetic relics are organs or species that have lost their original function but still exist due to lack of selective pressure. Examples include the human appendix and the pineal gland, which was once thought to be a “seat of the soul.” Some species, like the cycads and coelacanth, are also considered phylogenetic relics. The vampire […]
